Beef S.O.S

My husband loves everything that I make, but one of his favorite meals is also one of the easiest and cheapest meals to have.  If it were up to him, he would eat S.O.S every single day and be just fine with that.

If you are military or have military background or even been around military people in general, then you will no doubt have heard about the good ol' S.O.S.  Technically it's called S*** on a Shingle, and I don't think I need to tell you what the S word stands for LOL

It's something that military folk of all branches are quite familiar with.  The dish seems to go all the way back to World War I and an Army field kitchen, although the recipe itself first appears in a Manual of Army Cooks from 1910.  So, as you can see it has definitely been around for a very long time. 

This is definitely one of those meals that not only go far, but are perfect for when you need to cut back on your food budget.  There seems to be a love/hate relationship for people with this meal, but we think it is absolutely fantastic, and filling.

There are SO many ways to make this recipe, so I'm giving you my way of making it, I'm sure you can find a ton of different versions online.

Beef S.O.S

1 lb ground beef
2 cups milk

3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic (optional but I like to add some in)
Sliced Bread


In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef, then season with salt and pepper.  I sometimes add a little garlic too. Drain grease. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir to combine, then slowly start pouring in the milk all the while mixing well so as not to allow the flour to become lumpy.

Serve over sliced bread.  (you can toast the bread if you wish, we either toast it or just have it as is)

One Pan Portuguese Roast Chicken

I think everyone knows how to prepare roast chicken, and there are so many variations out there and family recipes passed down from generation to generation.

Much as I love cookbooks and trying out new recipes, some days I prefer to stick to the way I have grown up cooking, the meals that I remember from my childhood.

This is a very simple way to make roast chicken, it may seem a little different to what you're used to making but it's equally delicious.  It is also a one pan meal, and that is always great as it saves on having a pile of dishes to clean up.

I do hope you'll give it a try :)

One Pan Portuguese Roast Chicken

1 pound chicken (I used thighs, but you can use a whole cut up chicken, or legs, or breasts, whatever you prefer)
Vinegar
Minced Garlic
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Paprika
Salt and Pepper
2 large potatoes
Small red onion


Now here's the deal, if I'm not following a specific recipe, I always cook from the heart, which means I eyeballs the ingredients.  It's hard for me to give specific measurements, but I'll try to give you an idea of how much I used.

First thing, wash and clean your chicken well.  Place the chicken in a big ziploc bag, then squirt in some vinegar, add about 1/2 cup of mayo and 1/4 cup mustard, some minced garlic cloves (I used about 4 that I mashed in my mortar and pestle), salt and pepper to taste and some paprika.

Close the ziploc tightly and give it all a good mix, then pop in the fridge for a few hours.  It's even better overnight, but usually I'll do it either in the morning, or around noon to cook for dinner.

When you're ready to cook.  Dump the whole contents of the chicken into a casserole dish, or a baking dish covered with foil.

Add a layer of sliced onion on top, and then top with thick sliced potatoes.  Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about an hour or until chicken and potatoes are completely cooked through.

When done, you can serve right away, or if you wish, you can remove the foil and place back in the oven to broil a bit.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Crunchwrap

Oh my goodness!!!

Just oh my goody, gosh, this is delicious.  I've shared a recipe before for an actual Crunchwrap like the ones from Taco Bell, and then I also shared one for a Sheet Pan Crunchwrap which is phenomenal as well.

Today, I'm bringing you a Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Crunchwrap just is just as delicious.

What I love the most about these Sheet Pan meals, is that they are perfect for get togethers, family dinners and so on.  I love meals that I can stretch for a big crowd and this is one of those, for sure.

Give it a try.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Crunchwrap

Source: Tasty

4 chicken breasts, sliced
3 onions, sliced
5 peppers, sliced
2 tbsp fajita seasoning
3 tbsp olive oil
9 large flour tortillas
1 tsp melted butter
2 cups cheddar, grated
2 cups spicy tortilla chips

For the dip:

1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp fajita seasoning
1/2 cup pickled jalapenos
1 tbsp honey
juice 1 lime
salt, to taste


Pop the chicken, peppers and onions on a large roasting tray with the 2 tbsp fajita seasoning and oil. Roast for 25 minutes at 200°C, stirring occasionally.


Meanwhile, mix everything together for your dip and set aside.

Brush your butter across the base of a sheet pan. Lay 7 tortillas down on the bottom of the pan.  Put in half your cheese, half your chicken, all of your chips, then the rest of the chicken and cheese.

Fold over the tortillas, then lay over a sheet of wax paper, and weigh down with a heavy tray.

Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C.

Panda Express Chow Mein - Cheap Meals

 

A few months ago I was on the hunt for some cheap, inexpensive, easy meals to make.  Once in a while I like to try and cut my food budget down by making meals that are not only cheap but that the family will surely enjoy.  That is not always as easy as it may seem.

I came across a channel on Youtube that provided just that, she called it Dirt Cheap Budget Meals but they looked SO incredibly yummy, which peaked my interest.

We as a family, love Panda Express and especially their chow mein, so when I saw that she had a recipe for a knock off Panda Express Chow Mein using none other than Ramen Noodles, I KNEW that was definitely going to be on the menu.

The verdict:  We absolutely LOVED it, and is actually on the meal plan for the next two weeks, again.

Panda Express Chow Mein

Source:  Queenn Callier

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons oil
4 packs Ramen Noodles (I used Beef Flavored)
2 packets of Ramen noodles seasoning
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1 tsp Shredded ginger root
1 Tbsp Honey (Can substitute with sugar)
2 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups Shredded Cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup sliced celery
Optional:  I added in some cooked chicken breast that I chopped into bite size chunks


Cook the ramen noodles with the two packets of seasoning, as you normally would.  Set aside.


In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, ginger, honey, garlic powder and pepper.  Set aside. 

In a skillet, or a wok, add the butter and the cabbage, cook for 15 minutes.  Add in the celery and the carrots and cook for 15 minutes more.

Add in the oil, then the cooked ramen noodles and finally the soy sauce, mix well and let fry for a few minutes.  Serve immediately.

If you're adding in chicken or any other meat, do so when you add the ramen noodles to the skillet.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Sopa - Church Cookbook

When my husband and I were newlyweds, we traveled to Oklahoma to visit his family.  We had our daughter at the time, she was just about a year old and at my husband and his family's request, we had her baptized in their local family church.

As we arrived at the church, there were a stack of cookbooks, you know the church cookbooks that used to be so common?  My mother in law asked me if I would like one, she knew I loved cooking, and wanted to gift me one because there were recipes from her, her mother and her niece featured in the book.

I was thrilled.

Over the years I've tried many of the recipes and maybe because they're simple homecooked dishes, they tend to be some of the best family meals around.

One of the recipes featured in the cookbook is from my husband's cousin Cindy.  I just made it again a few weeks ago and realized I hadn't shared it on the blog, so here it is.

A simple Mexican flavor inspired casserole that I'm sure your family will enjoy :)

Chicken Sopa

1 pound chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces (you can use leftover roast chicken as well)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

1 cup chicken broth
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Put the chicken into a mixing bowl. Add the chicken soup, mushroom soup, green chiles and broth. Mix well.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish place a layer of corn tortillas to cover the bottom, then a layer of the chicken mixture, then a layer of cheese. Continue to layer, like you would lasagna, until all of the chicken mixture is gone.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and brown. Let cool and serve.